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Some skateboarders use tall ramps. Others do tricks in large cement bowls. Many skateboarding tricks involve rotation. The name of each trick tells the number of degrees in the turn. A 180 is a half-turn. A 360 is a full turn. Adding these numbers together creates bigger, harder tricks. For example, a 540 is one and a half turns.
The ollie was invented in 1978. In this trick, the skater snaps the board’s tail downward. This tips the front wheels up. Then, the whole skateboard lifts up into the air. In the air, the board stays near the skater’s feet. The ollie is usually the first trick skateboarders learn. It’s also the first step for doing other tricks.
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Making Connections
Text-to-Self
Which style of skateboarding do you think would be most fun to watch? Why?
Text-to-Text
What other books have you read about extreme sports? How are those sports similar to skateboarding?
Text-to-World
Some skateboarders perform in competitions. Others skate just for fun. What are the advantages of competing? Can you think of any downsides?
Teacher Resources
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